Preexisting aircraft launching devices or catapults are relatively complicated and expensive, because of heavy weight, a great number of moving parts, complications in attaching a moving carriage to a piston through the walls of a pressure-containing cylinder and the complications in valve operation which are subject to malfunctions and frosting. An object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical launching apparatus for a flying device, which is dependable in operation and freely maneuverable.